Monster Born
by Reiver
Summary: Xena and Gabrielle find themselves up against a strange new foe that isn't quite as it seems!


Monster Born

The day was warm and a breeze ruffled the long dark hair of the warrior woman as she stood alone at the side of the path. Her sword was strapped to her back and she fiddled with the chakram that hung at her side. She smoother her hands down her brown leather outfit and adjusted the bronze breastplate for about the third time.

Sighing deeply her blue eyes flicked behind her to the bushes there, "For Gods' sake Gabrielle, how long does it take to relieve yourself?"

"Just hold your horse," the cheerful reply came, "I'm coming! I was picking some flowers."

"Flowers!" Xena repeated, "Great!"

A lot of thrashing noises came from the bushes until finally Gabrielle stumbled out, clutching a bouquet of pink and blue flowers. Brushing back her long blonde hair with one hand she held out the flowers to her tall friend, grinning.

"Aren't they pretty?"

Xena arched one sleek eyebrow and looked down at the flowers shoved under her nose, "They're weeds Gabrielle."

"Weeds!" Gabrielle exclaimed, shocked, "They're not weeds! You'ree so...so," Gabrielle thought wildly for the right word to describe her friend, "so unfeminine!"

Instead of being offended Xena just laughed and started off down the road towards the village they could see in the distance, Argo following along behind. Gabrielle strode beside her friend, chatting amiably and enjoying the warm sunshine on her face.

The village they came to was much the same as most of the others they had travelled through. The same houses; the same streets; the same dirt. Only this time they couldn't help noticing a feeling of fear permeating this particular village.

"Something's wrong here," Xena breathed quietly to her companion.

Gabrielle looked around, her blue eyes worried, "I don't see anything."

"That's just it Gabrielle," Xena said, "Where is everyone?"

For the first time Gabrielle noticed that there was hardly a soul about. Usually at this time of day there would be a lot of activity as people returned home from the fields after a hard day's work. But there were only a few people about and these looked nervous as they hurried along the street. They decided to head for the tavern, the one place guaranteed to have people in.

The tavern did have a few people in but nothing like normal, even with people just finishing work it was a sorry affair. Walking up to the bar the companions noticed the strange looks they were getting but ignored them as best they could.

"Bar keep!" Xena called to the fat man wiping down the bar with an already wet cloth, "Two ales please."

As the silent man got their drinks Xena nodded politely to the men sitting further down but they quickly looked away into their drinks. When their own drinks were placed in front of them Gabrielle paid the man with a smile.

"You're very quiet," she said, "Is it always like this?"

The bar keep looked at her for a moment, his eyes sliding to regard Xena warily before turning his attention back to Gabrielle. "You would be best to move on when you're finished your drinks. Now it's nothing personal," he hastily added when Xena's tankard thumped down on the bar and she looked at him from narrowed eyes, "It's just that we had some trouble here last night and two men were killed. We don't know when it will be back."

"If what will be back?" Xena queried.

"I'm not sure what it was," the bar keep shrugged, wiping at the counter, "Some kind of monster. Huge it was, tremendously strong – knocked three men through the air! It was too dark to see it clearly but it was almost human-like and it moved fast."

"Where did it come from?"

"I don't rightly know, we think it came from out of the hills to the east. Just came right into the village after dark – well, you can imagine the commotion! We tried to run it out as soon as we saw it but it managed to kill two of our men before it took off!" He shook his head sadly and paused in his incessant wiping, "They were good men, family men, they didn't deserve to go like that."

Xena raised an eyebrow and looked at her companion who was giving the man a sympathetic smile. When she saw the determined look on her friend's face Gabrielle rolled her eyes, "Okay, okay, I didn't want to sleep in a proper bed anyway!"


End file.
